How to restrict someone on Facebook Messenger without them knowing. Differences compared to blocking
Facebook Messenger offers the option to block or restrict someone you don't want to communicate with. However, there are differences between these two features provided by Meta, the parent company founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
Blocking someone on Facebook is obvious, as the blocked person will no longer be able to message you or see your content as long as the block is in place. Restricting someone can be an intermediate solution. But before doing so, it’s important to understand what restricting someone on Messenger entails.
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What happens when you restrict someone on Messenger?
When you restrict someone on Messenger, your conversation with them is removed from the chat list. The other person can still send you messages or call you, but you won't be notified. However, Messenger will notify you if that person sends a message or calls you in a group you both are part of, according to MakeUseOf.
Restricting someone on Messenger prevents them from seeing your active status or knowing if you've read their messages. However, the person will remain in your friend list and can still see and interact with your Facebook posts as usual.
It’s important to know that restricting someone on Messenger does not delete previous messages. So, if you later lift the restriction, all previous messages, including those sent while they were restricted, will be restored.
Will someone know if you restrict them on Messenger?
It's important to note that Facebook does not notify the other person when you restrict their access. Since the other person can still send you messages and view your activity on Facebook, it is unlikely they will realize you have restricted them on Messenger.
However, over time, an attentive person might start to notice certain indicators that they have been restricted. For example, if you consistently ignore their messages or calls, they might eventually figure out that they have been restricted.
How to restrict/unrestrict someone on Facebook Messenger
The Messenger app on Android or iPhone allows you to restrict an account quite easily.
Follow these steps to restrict an account on Facebook Messenger:
In the Messenger app, go to the Chats tab and locate the conversation with the person you want to restrict.
Press and hold the conversation and select Restrict from the resulting menu.
Once you have restricted someone on Messenger, you will no longer be able to find the conversation with them or contact them until the restriction is lifted.
To view all the people you have restricted on Facebook Messenger or to lift someone's restriction, you need to access the privacy settings.
To unrestrict someone, follow these steps:
In the Messenger app, tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap the gear icon to open settings.
Go to Privacy & Safety > Restricted Accounts.
Tap the person you want to unblock and select the Unrestrict button at the bottom.
Restricting someone is a great way to limit who can contact you on Facebook. However, if you are looking for a stricter approach, consider blocking someone on Messenger. This way, the other person will no longer be able to view your profile, message you, or engage with your posts.
